The first of its kind in the nation, Pre-K Junior Faculty Career Development Award Program is designed to equip junior faculty with the skills and knowledge to successfully apply for an NIH K Award and to become leaders in clinical and translational science. The program’s long-term goal is to strengthen the pipeline of researchers pursuing a K Award and to foster a culture that supports this objective.

“This program has proved to be tremendously effective. It was the first of its kind in the nation and it has helped dozens of people cultivate their careers by helping them obtain NIH K Awards,” said Dr. Cato T. Laurencin.

The success of the program is evident in the more than $114 million in grants that have been garnered by scholars who have participated since the program’s inception. Now in its sixth cycle, the program is co-directed by Lisa Barry, Ph.D., Bin Feng, Ph.D., and Mark Litt, Ph.D.

“The Department of Psychiatry has been fortunate to have several faculty accepted into the pre-K program since it began, and each faculty member has gone on to receive NIH Career Development and/or other grant funding, said David Steffens, M.D., MHS, chair of UConn Psychiatry. “It’s really an outstanding testament to the strength and design of the pre-K program. Program leaders provide guidance on the preparation of a K Award for career development and hold participants to a clear timeline for submitting their grants. Participants are supported by institutional and department funding, and I see it as a great investment in promising clinical scientists.”

Most recently, Jacob Earp, Ph.D., and Cutter Lindbergh, Ph.D., received The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering Pre-K Junior Faculty Career Development Award. Lindbergh and Earp were in the fifth cohort (2022-2024) of the program. Additionally, Earp and Lindbergh received support from the UConn Pepper Center.

Jacob Earp, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut Storrs Campus. His research primarily focuses on improving health, function, and physical performance by improving muscle quality (function relative to size) and tendon function for people across the lifespan.

Cutter Lindbergh, Ph.D., is a neuropsychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry at UConn School of Medicine. Lindbergh’s research has focused on characterizing changes in cognitive functioning and day-to-day functioning associated with typical aging and dementia in older adults.

“The Pre-K Program was essential to the success of my K23 application. I feel so fortunate to have been a participant in the program. This K Award would not have been possible without the protected time and outstanding mentorship and guidance provided by the Pre-K directors,” said Lindbergh.

Earp echoed the sentiments and added, “We wouldn’t have gotten these awards without the Pre-K program and the skills we’ve gained will translate to more NIH applications in the future.”